Adjustable hairdressing and apparel grooming mirror device



M. l. HOWE 2,606,479

L. GROOMING MIRROR DEVICE Aug. 2, 1952 ADJUSTABLE HAIRDRESSING AND APPARE Filed March 2, 1951 INVENTOR. M4551. I. lOWE,

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Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE ADJUSTABLE HAIRDRESSIN G AND APPAREL GROOMING MIRROR DEVICE Mabel I. Howe, Compton, Calif.

Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,535

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved grooming device utilized as an aid in viewing back portions of the head and body for arranging hair and wearing apparel.

Some prior proposed devices employing a rearwardly facing mirror worn by a user and cooperable with a fixed auxiliary mirror for viewing back portions of the head and body have been unsatisfactory because the supporting means for such devices in part rested upon portions of the body other than the head. Therefore, twisting of the head and portions of the body were necessary to view selected back portions of the body,

and such twisting tended to disarrange clothing so that it could not be viewed as it would appear when the body and head were in normal relationship. Furthermore, such prior proposed devices em loyed a supporting structure disposed below eye level which restricted positioning of the mirror so that only upper back body portions were observable. Slight turning of the head would disturb and change the relationship of eye to mirror so that frequent adjustments were necessary. In addition when the prior devices were sup ported from the body in whole or in part, as from the neck, shoulders, or chest, movement of the arms to groomthe hair was translated to the mirror. It can be readily understood that such prior hair dressing aids were a source of annoyance and, at most, were only partially helpful. The primary object of this invention is to obviate the disadvantages of prior proposed devices and to provide a novel grooming aid entirely carried by the head and readily adjustable to viewany selected back portion of the user.

Still another object of this invention is to design and provide a grooming aid for hair dressing and wearing apparel wherein a mirror is mounted for rearwardly directed vision and is capable of adjustment about a partial universal mounting.

A further object of this invention is to design and provide a grooming aid wherein holding means are provided for the mirror supporting assembly to releasably lock the assembly with respect to a spectacle type frame. I g

This invention contemplates a grooming aid including a mirror supported for rearwardly directed vision, made of simple, sturdy construction, and readily adjusted to the contour of the forehead of the user for providing a comfortable support on the head of the user.

The invention contemplates a grooming aid supported by the head of a user and having a rearwardly facing mirror cooperable with a secondauxiliary fixed mirror for viewing back portions of the head and body. The device comprises a spectacle type frame arranged to be supported upon the forehead, nose, and ears of the head of the user. A mirror supporting means is pivotally supported about a vertical axis to the central por- 7 tion of a cross member of the spectacle frame,

An object of this invention is to design and provide such a grooming device wherein the mirror supporting structure is disposed above eye level.

Another object of this invention is to design and provide a collapsible grooming device which is readily and conveniently foldable into a portable case for carrying in a hand bag. 4

A further object of this invention is to design and provide a grooming device wherein a mirror is supported forwardly of the eyes of a user and is adjustably movable within limits of sidewardly directed eye movement and of vertical eye movement. The invention contemplates a mirror adjustably positionable within a zone capable of being normally swept by the eyes of a user without movement of'the users head out of normal relationship with the body; and wherein movement of arms of a user for grooming hair is not translated to the mirror, thus avoiding disturbance of eye to mirror relationship.

said supporting means being disposed above eye level and including a supporting bar providing a pivotal connection about a horizontal axisv to an extension member which carries a mirror at its outer end in a partially universal mounting. The frame and mirror supporting means are foldable into compact relationship so that the grooming aid is readily carried.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating employment of a grooming device embodying this invention on the head of a user.

Fig. 2 is another perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the mirror mounting.

Fig. 4 is a plan view partially in section showing the device in folded relationship.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a holding means for the mirror supporting means.

In Fig. 1, a grooming device embodying this invention is illustrated in position upon a head of a wearer while the hair is being dressed. The grooming device comprises a frame of spectacle type, generally indicated at III; a supporting means ll projecting forwardly from the frame above eye level; and a reflecting means or mirror I2 carried at the outermost extremity of supporting means II in convenient spaced relationship to the eyes of the wearer. The mirror I2 is selectively adjustably positioned so that the wearer may view rear portions of her head through a fixed auxiliary mirror I3.

The frame I and supporting means I I may be made of any suitable metal or lightweight plastic material, such as cellulose acetate, which has the characteristics of being rigid and strong while capable of being readily adaptable and moldable into a desired contour upon the temporary application of heat thereto. The mirror I2 may comprise any suitable reflecting means including a polished metal plate.

The frame I0 comprises a pair of spaced bows I4 having a vertical rearwardly tapering section, the rearmost end portions I5 of said bows being suitably downwardly curved to comfortably fit over the ears of a wearer. A perforation in each end portion I5 may provide a convenient connection to a cord, thong, string or other means for hanging the device around the neckwhile not in use.

A slightly downwardly curved bridge or cross member I 6 extends between and is pivotally connected to the front end portions of bow I4. The member I6 may be also slightly convexly curved to a selected contour so that the inner surface of member I6 may comfortably bear against the central portion of the forehead, the member I6 extending across the forehead above the eyebrows. The cross member may be conveniently supported in this position by a depending nosecontacting member I8 of selected height and provided with rearwardly directed outwardly flaring, spaced saddle portions I9 at its lower extremity for bearing on the bridge portion of the nose of the wearer. The saddle portions I9 cooperate with the hooked end portions I5 of the bows to maintain the device in steady, comfortable relationship on or against the forehead of the wearer.

Supporting means II projects forwardly from the central portion over cross member I6 above nose-contacting member I8. The cross member I3 may be provided with a pair of vertically spaced, generally triangularly shaped, horizontally disposed integral brackets which may receive therebetween a vertically bored, tubular end of a support bar 2! for pivotal connection thereto by a vertical pin 22. The support bar 2| is rotatable about a vertical axis and the pivotal connection of pin 22 is normally so designed that friction will hold the support bar 2I in selected angular relationship with the member I6.

An extension member 23 may be provided at one end with a bifurcated, downwardly curved portion 24 which may be pivotally connected about a horizontal axis as at 25 to the forward end of support bar 2|. The curved end portion 24 spaces the longitudinal axis of mcmber23 in a plane lying above the plane of the axis of the bar when the bar and member are horizontally disposed. This construction not only permits member 23 to be folded virtually against support bar 2| when the device is in collapsed position, but also serves to elevate member 23 out of and above the line of sight of the eyes of the wearer to the mirror. Member 23 is preferably of greater length than bar 2 I.

The outer end of extension member 23 is provided with a vertically disposed tubular portion 26 serving as a housing for a partial universal mounting of mirror l2. The tubular portion 26 may have inwardly extending bottom annular lips 21 providing a partially spherical seat for a sphere curved within the portion 26. A spring 29 seats against the top surface of a generally cupshaped cap 28a bearing on sphere 28 and the bottom surface of a cap 30 for biasing the sphere 28 against seat 21. The sphere 28 may be carried at one end of a vertical shaft 3| which is suitably enlarged and secured to the mirror I2 at its lower end. The mirror I2 is thus mounted for partial universal movement into desired, selected position with respect to the eyes of a user.

The supporting means may be swung in front of the eyes and head in a horizontal plane about the pivotal connection at pin 22 so as to position the mirror to either side of the head of the wearer and within the limits of sideward movement of the eyes of a wearer without movement of the head. The mirror may also be raised or lowered to view back portions of the wearer by rotation about the horizontal pivotal axis 25. The mirror may be further angularly adjusted by its partial universal mounting at the end of extension member 23. Thus the mirror I2 may be readily positioned within the limits of sideward and vertical eye movement so that a wearer may observe virtually any back portion (through an auxiliary fixed mirror) without twisting or turning the head out of its normal relationship with the body.

In Fig. 5 a modification of the pivotal connection of the support means II to the cross member I 6 is shown. The vertically spaced brackets 20' receive therebetween the inner end of bar 21 as in the prior modification. In this modification, however, the outer surface of the inner tubular end of bar 2I may be provided with a plurality of vertically extending ridges and grooves 34 for cooperable engagement with a free end 37 of a spring 35. The spring 35. is secured at 36 to the adjacent portion of the cross member and is biased against the end of bar 2| for releasably holding the free end of the spring against the ridges and grooves 34 for maintaining the bar 2| in selected adjusted position.

The entire structure of the device, including frame, support means, and mirror is lightweight. strong and rigid. The frame is readily fitted'to contours of the head of a wearer so as to provide a comfortable, steady support for the mirror. The design of a foldable collapsible supporting means II permits the mirror to be spaced far enough forwardly of the eyes of the user so that he will not suffer eye discomfort when using this grooming device. Interference by the support means with the line of sight is reduced to a minimum by upwardly offsetting the extension member 23 with the support bar 2I. Eye strain is reduced to a minimum because of the adequate forward spacing of the mirror from the eyes.

The flexibility of the support means and mirror should be particularly noted. The three pivotal mountings; namely, the bar 2I about a vertical axis, the member 23 about a horizontal axis, and the mirror about a partial universal mounting, provides adjustment of the mirror laterally and vertically to any selected position in front of the eyes and head. Such pivotal mountings also provide for conveniently collapsing and folding the support means and mirror into compact relationship with the frame (as shown in Fig. 4) so that the grooming device may be easily and safely carried in a suitable case within a handbag. The pivotal connections are made sufficiently frictionally tight so that member 23, bar

2 I, and cross member [6 may be readily adjusted relative to each other and frictionally held in a selected position. It is understood of course, that the device may be used for other purposes than as an aid in grooming hair and apparel if so desired.

It is understood that various modifications may be made in the design of the supporting means and the mounting of the mirror from said supporting means. All such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible, portable grooming device, the combination of: a foldable frame including a, pair of spaced bows and a downwardly curved cross member extending between and pivotally connected to said bows, said cross member being convexly curved to selectively conform to the contour of a forehead above the eyes and to bear thereagainst; a nose-contacting member depending from the central portion of the cross member for supporting said frame with the cross member above the eyes and against the forehead; a bar carried by and projecting forwardly from the central portion of the cross member above eye level, said bar being pivotally mounted at one end about a vertical axis to said central portion above the nose member, an extension pivotally mounted at one end about a horizontal axis to the forward end of the bar, said extension being offset above the bar in normal parallel and extended relation; and a mirror depending from the forward extremity of said extension to approximate eye level and mounted for partial universal movement.

2. In a collapsible, portable grooming device, the combination of: a foldable frame including a pair of spaced bows and a downwardly curved cross member extending between and pivotally connected to said bows, said cross member being convexly curved to selectively conform to the contour of a forehead above the eyes and to bear thereagainst; a nose-contacting member depending from the central portion of the cross member for supporting said frame with the cross member above the eyes and against the forehead; a support member carried by and projecting forwardly from said frame above eye level, said support member being pivotally mounted at one end about a vertical axis to said cross member above and adjacent the nose member, an extension pivotally mounted at one end about a horizontal axis to the forward end of the bar; and a mirror depending from the forward extremity of said xtension and mounted for partial universal movement, said support member being foldable about said vertical axis to lie in generally parallel adjacent relation to a portion of the cross member and said extension being foldable downwardly about said horizontal axis to underlie said support member when said device is in collapsed relation.

3. In a collapsible, portable grooming device, the combination of: a foldable frame including a pair of spacedbows and a cross member extending between and pivotally connected to said bows, said cross member being convexly curved to selectively conform to the contour of a forehead above the eyes and to bear thereagainst; a nose-contacting member depending from the central portion of the cross member; support means carried by and projecting forwardly from said frame above eye level, said support means including a bar pivotally mounted at one end to said cross member above the nose member, an extension pivotally mounted at one end to the forward end of the bar, said extension being offset above the bar when the support means is in normal parallel and extended relation; a mirror depending from the forward extremity of said extension and mounted for partial universal movement; and means at the pivotal mounting of the bar to the cross member for releasable interengagement to hold the bar in selected position.

4. In a collapsible, portable grooming device, the combination of: a foldable frame including a pair of spaced bows and a cross member extending between and pivotally connected to said bows, said cross member being convexly curved to selectively conform to the contour of a forehead above the eyes and to bear thereagainst; a nosecontacting member depending from the central portion of the cross member; support means carried by and projecting forwardly from said frame above eye level, said support means including a bar pivotally mounted at one end to said cross member above the nose member, an extension pivotally mounted at one end to the forward end of the bar, said extension being offset above the bar when the support means is in normal parallel and extended relation; a mirror depending from the forward extremity of said extension and mounted for partial universal movement; and means at the pivotal mounting of the bar to the cross member for releasable interengagement to hold the bar in selected position; said interengaging means including a spring member cooperable with a plurality of serrations on said bar.

MABEL I. HOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 582,724 Dromgoole May 18, 1897 1,024,506 Graham Apr. 30, 1912 1,086,802 Beebe I- Feb. 10, 1914 1,635,062 Tully July 5, 1927 1,932,697 Jankovic Oct. 31, 1933 2,502,224 Kozloff Mar. 28, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 830,611 France May 16, 1938 

